What Lies in Ruins
by TragischerRomantiker
Summary: ."Well she can't have you," The wolf girl shouted angrily at her mate, "because you're MINE!"
1. 恐れることなく、プリンセス

**Just so everyone knows, I know that in the english adaptation of the movie Kaya is referred to as Ashitaka's sister, but I think in the original format she was his fiancée and the form of endearment was lost in translation. At first it was difficult for me to choose which path to take with this, but I am going to use the original concept of Ashitaka and Kaya's betrothal in this fanfic. I just thought I'd give everyone a heads-up first so there's no confusion ;) Thanks for checking this out and I hope you enjoy the fanfic! Please leave me with your thoughts and/or criticisms! Happy reading!**

**~TragischerRomantiker **

* * *

**Chapter 1: Without fear, Princess**

It was long into the night. Ashitaka was gone. Not dead, but dead to his people. When the dawn came funeral rights would be given to the Boar whose skeleton marks his grave with the pain and hatred he suffered and died with. Without Ashitaka, the Emishi people were left without their beloved prince and without an heir. The stones clicked as they bumped against one another, and the occasional muttering from the wise woman were the only sounds to be heard from within the tent that held witness to the council of elders. The silence dragged on and, finally, became unbearable. "What do we do now?" one of the more impatient elders asked the wise woman, "How are we to survive if we no longer have a prince to guide our people?"

The old woman bent low over her stones and various trinkets spread out across the blanket before her. It was a long time before she replied to the man's query. "Bring Ashitaka's betrothed to me. Kaya and I have much to talk about."

Jii-san, who was the council's personal messenger found himself racing through the village in search of the young girl. He saw his role of the messenger as an honor for this particular council meeting. He hurried, not wanting to waste any time. He knew that the council would have to make a decision soon regarding the future for the few Emishi that they were. "Akane! Hisashi! It's Jii-san! I ask for entrance into your home!"

The bamboo shade was pushed to the side of the doorframe revealing the face of the lovely Akane. Her light brunette hair was pulled atop her head in a messy bun. She had, no doubt, been woken from her beauty rest by the voice of the old man. "Jii-san! A pleasure! Please, won't you come in?"

"Of course, thank you."

He strode into the tiny hut. No sooner had he entered did Akane's husband, in his haste to greet their visitor, trip over his own feet into the main room of their home. "Jii-san! An honor!" he greeted their company from his spot in the dirt where he had fallen.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll make some tea." Akane told him.

"Not tonight, Akane. I'm here on important business for the council." Jii-san explained before she unnecessarily began to prepare refreshments, "Where is Kaya?"

Hisashi and Akane's faces were bewildered and horrified at the same time. "What has she done wrong?" Akane immediately questioned.

"I haven't the foggiest. The wise woman asked me to retrieve her and so I am here. Now, I will ask again, where is Kaya?"

Hisashi's brows furrowed. "Whatever the wise woman wants with our daughter can surely wait until the morning. Kaya is asle—"

"I'm right here."

All heads turned toward the young woman standing in the doorframe of the room holding an expression of ferocity. "Kaya, the wise woman has asked for an audience with you."

"Good." she spat, clearly upset over something.

Jii-san motioned toward the bamboo shade, pushing it aside for Kaya to walk through. "After you, Lady Kaya."

Kaya passed her weeping parents without a second look and stormed out into the chilly night. She had broken the rules; she had watched Ashitaka leave the village. Stupid. The whole thing was stupid. Now because of that dumb demon she was never going to see Ashitaka again. If she had known where he had been planning to go, she would have followed him into the night blindly and without a second thought. She loved him with all of her being, and if she ever got her chance, she would leave this damned village behind in search of him. She would find Ashitaka and they would never be torn apart again. Kaya's feet stomped against the ground. She had burst in on the council's meeting earlier in the evening, immediately after Ashitaka's departure. Now she was being called back to the council, no doubt to receive her punishment.

The wise woman smiled at her as she entered. "I would like to speak with Kaya alone."

The council seemed reluctant to leave, but did as the wise woman asked, leaving the two women alone in the tent to talk. The old woman across from Kaya said nothing at first, but then laughed. "Well, sit down."

Kaya did as instructed. She sat crossed-legged in front of the wise woman of the Emishi village. "I openly accept the punishment for my rebellious actions."

"I see..." her pause was long and dramatic, "I should inform you, however, that I do not intend to punish you."

"Then why have I been summoned in the middle of the night?" Kaya asked curiously.

"The council has been discussing the direction we, as a village, should take now that Ashitaka is no longer with us." she waited to see if this would invoke a reaction from Kaya, and was pleased to see it had not, "Kaya. You were promised the throne through marriage. Now we are offering you the throne in its entirety."

Kaya's dark eyes widened from shock. She was completely speechless. The woman smiled kindly at her surprised face, "I understand that this is a lot to take in on such a short notice, but I do ask that you make your choice rather quickly."

She would be in charge. She would be responsible for the well-being of the whole of their village. It was that very responsibility that sent Ashitaka away from his own people. "I accept."

"Wonderful. We will speak more in the morning, now that I have your answer, Princess Kaya. For now, get some rest, as I believe you will need it."

Kaya stood and bowed respectfully to the wise woman before turning to leave. The men were sitting outside the tent, waiting anxiously for some form of news as to what conversation had occured within the tent while they were left waiting. She stood tall as she passed through the old men. "Kaya, what did the wise woman say?"

She looked at them with a blank face, giving away none of her emotions, "You may enter now."

* * *

Morning came faster than Kaya had expected. She had not been ready to awake to the cheerful cries and hellos of "Princess Kaya!" She had always dreamed of being called by that title, but in her dreams, she had not achieved it this way. The Boar God's ceremony had taken place at dawn and she was expected to be there in Ashitaka's absence. Not even before breakfast the council had called a meeting to speak with her as the new Princess of the Emishi, which Kaya grudgingly attended.

"Kaya, as the Emishi Princess, there are certain things you are expected to know and do." one man started, "Like produce an heir."

What an unsophisticated way to begin such a serious conversation. "Wait, I have something I want to say... a proposition." No one spoke out against her, so she continued, "I want to implement a new regulation for the royal families of future generations."

She had found sleep to be beyond her reach the previous night and instead stayed awake in bed thinking of how to get away from the village so she could hunt down Ashitaka and bring him back. Surely his curse couldn't last forever! The wise woman's face was unreadable as she stated, "The Emishi have always followed the same traditions for generations. Even so... we have broken tradition of our Prince beginning with our new Princess, so let's hear your idea. We will put it to a vote. Although I will have you know, it will be difficult to inspire me to go against the traditions of our culture, Princess."

Kaya nodded, signaling she understood. She had taken many measures the previous night, studying the rulers of the past and the laws and regulations they had created, more importantly, the ones that were revoked. She had been waiting for this moment just to prove her idea was worthwhile. Two days ago, no one would have even paid her any mind, but today... today everything was going to change. "Okay, I wanted to discuss allowing the heir to embark on a journey alone once they reach their fifteenth year."

"And why would you suggest this?" one man asked, genuinely curious.

Kaya smiled brightly, "Because, I think it's important that if we are to protect our people from the terrors of the outside world, then we need to know what exactly the outside world entails. I know that I have never left the confines of our village and I have no idea what is out there. This makes it difficult for me to fully understand what lies beyond these walls. I think it would be good to have an informed ruler."

The wise woman nodded once, "We have heard what you've had to say, and now we will put it to a vote—all in favor, say—"

Kaya pulled a scroll of parchment out from her kimono, "Wait! Before you vote, I want to show you something I found!"

She opened it and read it to the council, "This dates back almost 800 years ago, 300 before the calamity that nearly wiped out our entire civilization. Back then, the Prince was Prince Raito III and he proposed the same conception, however, he asked it to be a law for everyone in his kingdom. At age fifteen they would be sent out into the unknown beyond the kingdom in exile for a year. The rules were strict. It had to be a year precisely. This law was not put in place, but fifty years later, his son, ironically named... King Ashitaka, proposed the same idea, but limited it to the royal family. At the end of the fifteenth year, when the heir returned home, they would marry at age sixteen. The motion was carried and it became regulation. After the near genocide of the Emishi, 500 years ago, the regulation was revoked because so few Emishi remained that they could not afford to lose any single person."

She offered the scroll to one of the elders who confirmed that the record written within it was, indeed, authentic. The wise woman nodded once more, "Alright, and now we vote. Those in favor?"

Several hands raised. "Those opposed?" another several hands raised.

Kaya hadn't been counting, but she thought she had lost when the wise woman looked at her. "Princess Kaya, the result is a draw."

She sighed, "Alright. I won't suggest it again, then."

The wise woman laughed, "Ah, but you forget, I have a vote as well. And I think that if we ever hope to restore our culture to its former glory, then perhaps we should be reinstating former traditions that made our people thrive in the past. Tell me how old you are, Kaya."

Kaya was stunned, and against her will, replied, "Beginning today I am fifteen."

"Then I hearby sentence you to exile for a year. When you return we will plan your wedding and coronation. If all goes well we can expect an heir, another Prince, in a few years." She smiled, "Now be gone with you. I will wait patiently to hear what things you discover on your journey."

Kaya stood and left the tent. Only a Princess for a day and she was already being kicked out of her village... of her own will, of course. She leapt onto the back of her red elk, Ryuuk, and together they left the village. Once she was in the safety of the nearby forest, she smiled widely. "C'mon Ryuuk! Let's go find Ashitaka and Yakkul!"

* * *

The rain poured over their construction site. It made the ground slick with mud and the wood heavy with water. Toki sighed, standing on the porch of her new home. "If this rain doesn't let up we may never rebuild Iron Town."

"You can't say that, Toki." he told her with a light smile, "The rain is refershing to everyone who's been working hard during the hot summer days. When the rain is gone, we'll begin building again, but for now, let them rest. I think everyone deserves a break."

She smirked devilishly at the foreign young man, "And when are you going to get your break, Ashitaka?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, c'mon. I know you've been dying to go visit the wolf girl."

"San." Ashitaka absently corrected.

"Yeah! Her!" She stomped her foot on the ground, "Dammit, Ashitaka! I think that you should go see her! You know, you're the only human she tolerates in that forest; you should feel lucky! Go on, we're not going to be doing anything here for awhile!"

Ashitaka seemed as though he were seriously considering her offer. However, his eyes were looking off in the distance somewhere, following a stream of thought in the back of his mind. "I'm needed here. In Iron Town. With Lady Eboshi's limb gone, she can't work like she used to. She needs more hands to help rebuild the town—"

"What a flimsy excuse. She has more hands than ever helping her with Iron Town now that the leppers are cured. Go! You know you want to. I'll even talk with Lady Eboshi for you so you can just take a vacation."

The more that Toki insisted he went, the harder it became for Ashitaka to resist the temptation of visiting San. Finally, he gave in and began to pack his things. Kouroku made snide comments as Ashitaka packed but helped him as much as possible. He knew, like his wife, that Ashitaka had been rather consumed with anticipation over the Princess Mononoke.


	2. 私のクリスタルダガー

**Chapter 2: My Crystal Dagger**

Yakkul came to an abrupt halt in his hike up the hillside. Ashitaka was seated comfortably on his loyal steed's back, holding the red silk reins in his callused hands. He knew that if his elk was on edge, then something must have been awry. He listened intently to the whispers of the trees. Ashitaka caught the gaze of a little frowning Kodama at the foot of a nearby tree. Although Kodama were said to bring good luck, Ashitaka wasn't keen on seeing one of the creepy little tree spirits frowning at him. He had to find San, she would know what was going on. Ashitaka heard Moro's pups howling to one another in the distance. He had found that learning the language of the wolves was harder than it looked when San had attempted to teach him. However, he knew enough to know that they were warning eachother of an intruder in the forest. Ashitaka's head whipped from side-to-side. He wasn't quite into the forest yet, but its mouth was close. "Yakkul, let's get going. We have to find San."

As the elk and his rider entered the forest, more Kodama began to appear. Some looked happy to see him, but many frowned in another direction. Ashitaka and Yakkul traveled in the direction the Kodama chose to frown in. Where trouble entered the forest, that's where they'd find San. Ashitaka was well-aware that San could take care of herself, but he wanted to help her if he could. His heart skipped a beat as her voice rang in the air. Ashitaka was closer to her than he had thought; he could make out the words her shouts echoed throughout the forest. "What the hell did you think you were doing traveling through this forest without permission, Human?"

The elk lept through some brush cutting off the path. There they found San straddling a young girl and pinning her to the ground. Her mask hid her face from the intruder beneath her, and her pelt ran down the length of her back. San had her crystal knife at the girl's throat, threatening to slit it open at any given time. "Maybe I'll tell you if you tell me what the hell you think you're doing with my necklace, Heathen!"

"Why you—I'll kill you for that!" San raised the weapon higher only for her arm to be stopped by another's hand.

She glared up at the interference, but then her eyes widened to see a man's hand grasping her forearm. There was only one man who would even bother stopping her with his hands. The girl she had on the ground had suddenly gained enough courage and strength to push San completely off of her and out of the way as she stared into the cool brown orbs that she had longed to see again. "Ashitaka!" Kaya cried out, flinging her arms around his neck and embracing him with a passionate kiss.

The wolf girl was completely enraged! San was about to spear her knife through Kaya's back when Ashitaka calmly pushed the tresspasser away from him. His demeanor was one of patience and tranquility. As San caught the deep brown of his eyes, her fury began to slowly subside... almost as if she had been cleansed of all her anger. This girl was lucky San trusted Ashitaka's judgement or else she would have been dead by now. Ashitaka was surprised to have received a kiss from someone he thought he'd never see again. "Kaya, what are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you!" She said enthusiastically, "The village made me the Princess after you left."

"What?"

"And... well... I came to find you! I'm supposed to return in a year and get married." She breathed heavily and Ashitaka didn't want to know where her thoughts were going, "The only person I'm interested in marrying is you... so I came to retrieve you. You can be _King_, Ashitaka! I'm so happy I found you!"

Ashitaka was silent. This was bad, this was very bad, indeed. He had hoped that his old life would never return to haunt the life he was leading now, or at least, not until he was a few years older. Ashitaka supposed that was just wishful thinking, though. He should have known better than to expect his past to just dither off. He peered out of the corner of his eye to see San fixated on Kaya. He sighed; Ashitaka was almost certain that she was glaring daggers at Kaya from under that mask of hers. He ignored it for a moment and gave Kaya a light smile. "It's good to see you, too, Kaya. Why don't you join San and I for dinner?" He offered to her politely.

Her eyes sparkled with delight. "They must treat you like a king around here! So where are we headed?"

"San will decide where we are eating tonight." Ashitaka motioned for San to hop onto Yakkul.

Kaya's face took on a look of mild disgust. "Oh, uh, okay. Sure... I'll just follow you guys, then." She gracefully lept onto Ryuuk.

San was irritated with Ashitaka and didn't much feel like entertaining unwelcomed company. Still, she got onto Yakkul's back and waited for Ashitaka to climb on as well. It had been awhile since their bodies had been so close, but he was a little irked that the wolf pelt served as a divider between them. Ashitaka wrapped his arms around her waist. She would have to scold Ashitaka for kissing another female while they hunted later. She was sure he had a reasonable explaination for his actions, and if he didn't she would have to come up with a suitable punishment for him... maybe she would have Tsume wrestle with him... that sounded pretty good to her. Surely Ashitaka would be no match against the short-tempered wolf. Feeling that the silence between them in their reunion had gone on long enough, San asked, "So you _will _explain all of this to me later, right?"

"Yes."

"What's so special about this crystal, then?" she asked, holding the dagger fondly before hiding it away between her supple breasts once more.

Ashitaka sighed and rested his head at the nape of her neck. Just hearing him breathe so close to her sent shivers up her spine, but she listened to him intently. "I made it as a betrothal gift for Kaya."

San seemed slightly hurt by his words. "You intended to... _marry_ her, then?"

She was still trying to understand the concept of "marriage" that humans often had. The best way Ashitaka had explained it to her was like the courtship between an alpha male and the mate of his choosing. Marriage, then, according to Ashitaka, was the same as being mated for life. Ashitaka made a deep rumbling noise in the back of his throat and then replied, "I did... but who has the crystal now, San?"

The wolf girl decided to take his question as rhetorical and chose to not respond. When she did not reply to him, Ashitaka chose to continue in a hushed whisper, "_You _have it. If you would have me, I choose to marry you."

She chuckled a little. It was a rare sight for him to see her laugh at all. "I have no need for human concepts of a lifetime bond. To me, just mating is enough to prove that... and you've already proven yourself to me, Ashitaka."

He smiled into the fur covering her shoulder. Spoken like a true daughter of the Wolf God, Moro. Ashitaka could swear that San became more like her wolf mother with each passing day. It was her way of saying 'I love you and I choose to be with you forever.' Of course, her brothers didn't particularly like their union, but they were accepting of San's choice; they respected him like they respected her. In their clan, San was leader of the pack now that Moro was gone, and rightfully so in Ashitaka's mind. But Kaya was not a welcomed guest here, and Ashitaka knew that. He supposed she could stay for dinner and then he would have to take her back to Iron Town—for her own protection. San wouldn't be pleased that he was leaving again, and he knew she was jealous of Kaya. However, he also knew she would rather he leave than have Kaya in the forest.

Kaya watched as Ashitaka rested his head on the wild woman's shoulder. She wondered idly if he was tired. What other reason would he have for leaning on her like that? She decided to shirk off the sight before her and instead focus on what she would do now that she had found her love. Kaya supposed she would take him back to the village with her, but then she remembered that the exile had to last a full year. She then modified her previous thought, deciding to, instead, find a comfortable place to stay with Ashitaka for a year. Kaya blushed and smiled a little inwardly, thinking that it would perhaps be best if she returned to the village with child. At least then, even if they rejected Ashitaka's return, they would still have the "rightful" heir to the throne. Kaya nodded firmly to herself. That was the best case scenario in the worst situation, the best situation being that they just let Ashitaka return, anyway. The trick now would be trying to get Ashitaka to—

"We're here." his voice stated.

She had been dragged out of her thoughts to find him at her side offering her a hand down from the red elk. Her cheeks reddened slightly and she thanked him for his help, taking his hand and sliding off of the animal's back. The woman wearing the ratty clothing was removing the reins from Yakkul's face and began to make her way over to Ryuuk. "No. His stays on." She ordered, referring to Ryuuk's bridle.

San laughed, but this wasn't a cheerful laugh, it was a sick, mocking one. "Don't be stupid. They're brothers, and it seems they haven't seen eachother in awhile. Yakkul wants to show him the forest, and I'm inclined to let him."

Kaya nudged the man beside her, "Ashitaka, _do _something!"

"San does as she pleases; the forest is hers to protect how she likes." Ashitaka explained to his uptight friend.

Kaya wasn't keen on the idea of allowing her steed to run loose in an area without confines. She supposed Ryuuk needed a little bit of an escape, though. When the thought entered her mind, another one accompanied it; those had been her exact feelings when she left the confines of the Emishi village. In a way, Kaya felt a bit selfish for having thought otherwise in the first place. She cast the thought aside. As long as Ashitaka wasn't bothered by it, then it was fine with her. If he trusted this—San-girl, then she was probably worthy of his trust and therefore, by default, had earned Kaya's trust as well... despite the fact that the savage had nearly skewered her earlier.

"So, where's dinner?" Kaya asked Ashitaka, changing the subject.

Ashitaka blinked a couple times. Did Kaya really expect their meal to be preapred already? He smiled at her, but then asked San to join them. She, grudgingly, did as Ashitaka asked and came over to them. He explained to Kaya that he and San were going to go hunting and that they would be back shortly. "Oh, well, I'll join you, then!"

San growled a little, "No, you won't. I don't trust humans and I don't like you, so you can stay here."

"Two people on foot aren't going to get much out of their hunt with... what weapons do you have? A dagger and a bow and arrows? I think having more people included in your hunt would produce a better catch."

"I have everyone I need."

"Well, I'm not letting you go alone with Ashitaka!" Kaya yelled indignantly at the wolf-girl.

Ashitaka decided to intervene before San lost her temper. "Kaya, our hunting party consists of four; San's brothers are expert hunters and they will be accompanying us. We'll be back shortly with food, just please stay here, alright?"

She sighed. Kaya didn't understand why she wasn't allowed to help them out. However, she reluctantly obliged to Ashitaka's wishes and sat on the ground. Suddenly, two giant wolves appeared from the surrounding brush. Ashitaka mounted one and sped off. San, however, did not immediately disappear into the trees. She sat upright on the back of one of the giant snowy wolves and looked down at Kaya with narrowed eyes. San knew she couldn't see them, but she hoped she would still get her point across. Kaya felt uncomfortable under the watchful and unseen eyes of the warrior woman. It unnerved her to wonder what face hid behind that mask. Still, San looked elegant and fierce all at once, and Kaya found herself in awe and terror. The back of her mind attempted to keep sanity by trying to picture what face the woman held. Was it grotesque? If not, then why wear the mask at all? Perhaps so she would seem more of a threat? What was she, anyway? Some kind of forest God? The over-sized wolves were definitely Gods and yet they came to her beck and call... so what did that make her? Kaya jumped a little when San's harsh voice spoke to her, "Don't leave this spot. If you do, I will know."

Without another word her mount raced away into the dense wood, leaving Kaya stranded and alone.

* * *

Ashitaka and Kiba waited for San and Tsume to catch up with them. Ashitaka smiled when he saw them emerge from the trees. They had traveled a fair distance from where Kaya was left behind. San slid her mask up and allowed it to rest on the crown of her head. Tsume rushed toward the unmoving Kiba and San shoved Ashitaka off of the wolf. He had not expected her to attack him and found himself suddenly on the ground. San was on top of him in an instant. He wasn't prepared for her to kiss him with such tenderness. He was completely hypnotized by her hazel eyes; San had him under her spell. "That's for coming to visit me."

Her eyes changed rapidly to reveal an inner loathing and stabbed his chest with the crystal dagger. She saw his face contort with pain, but he didn't try to writhe his way out from under her; Ashitaka simply accepted the fact that San's anger was not to be trifled with, for when it was, she could be deadly. "And that's for kissing another woman! What the _hell _were you thinking?"

She got off of him and let him remove the knife on his own. He would be lucky if that didn't scar. "She kissed me, not the other way around, San." Ashitaka tried to explain rationally, "Kaya is from a village far away from here and I doubt she has considered that I've found someone else."

"Well that's her own damn fault!" San argued.

Kiba and Tsume decided to lay down in some grass and watch Ashitaka and San's quarrel. They enjoyed watching the two humans fight, mainly because it always seemed that Ashitaka lost. There was also the hope that San would kill him and let them eat him. It wasn't that they hated the man, but rather, they hated when he made San upset. For that, they would be willing to do anything to prevent. They sat silently and watched Ashitaka attempt to repair the broken communication between himself and their sister. "San, listen to me—"

San cut off his sentence before he had a chance to give her a proper explanation, "And what's all this nonsense about becoming a _Princess_? What, does that mean she wants tea and chopsticks with her meal tonight?"

Ashitaka took a deep inhale of air and then exhaled. He placed the bloodied crystal dagger into San's dirty hands before resting his own hands on her shoulders. They locked gazes and in his, San could see a compelling determination. She would be silent and hear what he had to say, because whatever it was, it had to be very important if Ashitaka was staring at her so intensely.

"Yakkul once told you about me—all about me; my village, my people, everything. I thought I could just leave it in the past, but it seems that my past has finally come back to haunt me. If I don't face it now, it will only follow me like a shadow." He paused and checked to make sure she was paying close attention, "In my reign as Prince of the Emishi, Kaya was my betrothed. It seems that after my banishment the council of elders decided to make her the Princess since the line of royalty had ended with me."

Her brows were knitted together. San didn't know why, but she believed him. She punched his shoulder with all the force she could muster. "No more damn secrets!" she became softer and her voice was soothing, "Now... what are we going to do about your friend?"

Ashitaka rubbed his sore shoulder with one of his hands. San could really pack a punch. "I'm going to escort her to Iron Town after tonight's meal."

"But you only just got here!"

"I know, but I think it's fair for me to assume she's not welcome in this forest."

San had no response for him. He was right, of course, but she didn't want him to leave so soon after arriving. However, she nodded her agreement. It was best he took Kaya away rather than let her roam the forest. "You'll come back, right?"

He smiled, ignoring the sting of the wound on his chest. "Of course I'll come back."

"Right." She said with a new sense of determination as she pulled her mask back down over her face, "then let's go; I don't want her here any longer than she has to be."


	3. ビーコン雨の中で

**Chapter 3: Beacon in the rain**

Kaya sat on a log that looked as though it had been decaying for awhile. She occupied herself by staring at the termites as they wriggled in and out of pock marks that, she figured, was their own doing in the rotting wood. She wasn't really watching them very closely, for she had more pressing matters for her mind to flounder over than their irrelevant culture. Kaya's kurisutarudaga was now in the hands of that scary wild woman, and that couldn't be good. To her knowledge, Ashitaka had been the last person to have it. So how did it come to be in the hands of that barbarian? Kaya sat, eyes fixated on the termites and mind pondering over this question. He must have lost a bet to her or something... yes, that had to be it! Now he has no way of getting it back! So really, this was all that damned woman's fault!

Kind of like the story with the three goats and the troll. The wolf-girl was definitely the troll, Kaya thought. _Who's that trip-trapping into my forest? A Prince on a red elk? I'm going to eat you! _Kaya chuckled a bit. It was amusing to think of Ashitaka and the troll-woman in that situation, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed a plausible solution to her enigma. _Don't eat me, I have a sister who will follow me into this forest on her own red elk. Take this as proof! That crystal is hers and now she will come to you._

_Very well... you have my permission to pass through this forest._

Then, as Ashitaka expected, Kaya had come along after him with Ryuuk. He had rescued her from the troll's wrath, no doubt that had been his plan all along. Now, his offer to the troll has gained them a valuable ally, because it was obvious she trusted Ashitaka. That's how Kaya was able to keep alive; it was all part of Ashitaka's plan from the beginning. Kaya was certain he had a plan to trick the greedy savage into returning the crystal at some point now that she and Ryuuk finally appeared.

The trees began to shake and Kaya felt a few droplets escape from the canopy of leaves that had previously been protecting her from the rain over head. She looked up curiously and listened to the sounds above her. It almost seemed like the leaves were rustling louder than they should have been. Perhaps the winds had increased their speed? Kaya thought she heard the wolf-girl's voice in the distance screaming in agony... or maybe it wasn't the wolf-girl at all? "Hello?" she called out, a little apprehensive, "Is someone out there? Are you hurt?"

The screeching had stopped abruptly. Kaya shook it off. She was probably just imagining things; most likely it was only the wind. She returned her gaze to the termites and jumped up from her spot immediately, machete at the ready. A little _thing _with a deformed and egg-shaped head had cuddled itself up next to her. The creature had startled her, but she realized it wasn't anything to be afraid of; it was just a Kodama. Her parents had told her stories about them when she was little. It was rare to see them, though, according to the stories. She sheathed her blade and watched the little spirit with a curious eye. The Kodama stood up and stared right back at her. It tilted its freaky head to the side, Kaya mimicked it. The spirit's head snapped back upright with a vibrating clicking noise and Kaya jumped again. Strangely enough, Kaya recognized this sound... and then she understood. It wasn't the leaves rustling... she looked back up at the tree tops and squinted her eyes trying to see them. The Kodama were huddled together in mass groups high up in the trees all moving their heads like the tiny one in front of her did.

She felt it's energy and glimpsed down at her foot to see a happy little Kodama rubbing up against her leg affectionately like some sort of cat. She smiled at the tree spirit and squatted down to be at a closer level to it. "Hey there, little Kodama..." it backed away from her a bit, "Oh! Sorry! It's unfair for me to know your name when you don't know mine; I'm Kaya."

Kaya extended her hand to the Kodama, who gratefully climbed up into it. She watched it click and vibrate its head upwards, and she followed its gaze. Kaya looked back down at the creature in her palm and asked, "Will you show me?"

The Kodama seemed a little bashful and disappeared from her hand. Kaya sighed. What had she been thinking? Of course he wasn't going to show her his friends. If they wanted to come out from hiding, then they would. That's all there was to it. She saw something in the corner of her eye, moving around on the ground. Kaya's face lit up to see the Kodama jumping excitedly at the base of a large tree. She walked over to it and it ran up the side of the tree, completely defying gravity. Kaya bit her lip. She wasn't one for heights, but she had to see this. Kaya slid off her shoes and began to climb the tree. She began to struggle half way up and had to use her sword to help her climb to the top. As Kaya ascended higher into the tree it got wetter as she went. When she had finally made it to the top she was completely drenched. She didn't care, though. Seeing the forest from here was simply breath-taking; rain or shine. Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder roared above them. The Kodama twitched and clicked beside her.

She smiled down at them and comforted them with her soothing words, reminding them that everything would calm after the rain went. Lightning cracked the sky in half and a flame sprung up against the treetops. Kaya gasped, praying inwardly that the rain would be enough to drown the flames, but it wasn't enough. All Kaya could think of was that Ashitaka and the other girl were out there somewhere, and the forest was playing host to fire. Her face was horror-stricken and the thousands of Kodama around her clicked louder. "I have to get over there! I have to stop that fire!"

Before Kaya had a chance to go anywhere, she halted in her tracks, hearing the loud screeching sound she had heard earlier. Where was that coming from? It sounded again... above her! Her head shot up and she saw a massive black bird flying in the rain. "Are you okay?" Kaya called to it.

It was only then, when the bird looked at her, that Kaya saw its crimson eyes. In its eyes she could read a lust for blood and pain. She could see that bones had popped through the skin on his wings and claws. Then, she saw it... it wasn't black, it was covered in the demonic snake-like appendages. It screeched once more and Kaya screamed, "A demon!"

Her heart raced and she dove under the canopy. Kaya raced down the tree, but slipped on a wet limb and fell. Her blade dug deep into the trunk as Kaya held on with whatever strength she had. The bird was chasing her, the tree limbs were breaking above her and she had no escape.

* * *

San had been talking with him, discussing some things that had occurred in the forest after he had left to return to Iron Town. Her breath was caught in her throat mid-sentence. A loud shriek filled the air. "Nagareya..." San whispered.

"Don't even think about it, San!" Tsume growled from beneath San.

His brother sniffed at the air and bared his fangs against the wind. "Just like Okkoto and Nago... there's no saving her; she's beyond our reach now," Kiba warned her.

"Okkoto and Nago?" Ashitaka mumbled to himself, putting two-and-two together, "You mean this... Nagareya has transformed into a demon?"

Hearing Ashitaka say the former God's name with such reluctance reminded San that he didn't know who they were talking about. She craned her neck, trying to meet Ashitaka's eyes. "Nagareya _was_ a Falcon God; a God of the sky. They called her the "stray arrow" for a reason; her flock abandoned her. No one quite knows why, though. Nagareya was good to the Moro Clan... I will slay her before she taints her talons with the lives of others," San finished.

Ashitaka couldn't tell what expressions were hidden behind that mask of hers, and he wondered idly if that was one of the reasons she wore it. Her voice never quivered and never faltered, and in hiding, she was received as stoic. That, Ashitaka knew, was completely untrue. He knew that folk of Iron Town thought the only things San could emote were rage and hate, but Ashitaka had seen a gentle and fun side to her, too. She was a woman of many faces, which led him to wonder what face she didn't want him seeing behind that noh mask of hers.

He said nothing, but what could he say? If there was a demon around, then there was something wrong and they couldn't just allow it continue its rampage... no matter what God they had been. The question was: what could turn a mighty God of the sky into a mindless demon? This time he knew for a fact it wasn't the humans living in Iron Town, which meant that somewhere else humans were disrupting the course of nature. Ashitaka was drawn out of his thoughts by a rising heat and he found a blaze shooting high into the air above the canopy. Kiba and Tsume had smelled it and when they discovered the source was directly above them, they ran faster through the woods. Another blood curtling scream, but this was not one belonging to the demon.

Ashitaka's eyes widened, seeing Kaya falling from the heights of a tree. She had been able to stabilize herself on a tree limb, but the bird was focused on absorbing the young girl. Ashitaka went into "hero mode". He nocked an arrow onto his bow and, like with Nago, aimed for the falcon's eye. "KAYA!" Ashitaka shouted, releasing the arrow and listening as it split the air.

He missed, but had gotten the creature's attention. Kiba called out to his sister, "San, whatever you do, don't touch Nagareya! She's a demon now!"

"I know!" the wolf-girl called back to her brother stubbornly.

She stood on Tsume's back while he raced at the tree. The wolf catapulted her into the air. Armed with the dagger around her neck and a spare knife, San landed on the same limb as Kaya. "Jump," San commanded, "My brother will catch you."

When Kaya had seen Ashitaka's arrow lodge itself in the trunk a mere hair's distance from the beast, she couldn't believe her eyes. It was like a ray of hope had washed over her on this dreary afternoon. Now she was being guarded by the troll she had no interest in. There were no other men aside from Ashitaka, so what brothers were being refered to? The _wolves_? "You've got to be kidding me..." Kaya breathed.

"Then consider yourself _kidded!_" San shouted impaitently, practically throwing Kaya off of the branch.

Kaya screamed as she fell, but stopped when she was met by a warm, furry pelt. As promised, Tsume had caught her fall and brought her safely to the ground, albeit grdugingly. He wasn't keen on the whole "protect whom you can" thing that San and Ashitaka preached. He supposed that was the tiny bit of human that still lived inside of San, but it was small enough where he could deal with it. San was the leader of their pack now; what she said was law for them. He had no qualms with his sister's judgement thus far, and therefore left Kaya unharmed on the forest floor.

Ashitaka slid off of Kiba's back and hurried to Kaya's side. "Kaya! You're not hurt are you? That thing didn't touch you, did it?" He asked her alarmed.

"No, I'm all right; a bit winded and bruised from the falling, but I think I'll manage."

He embraced her with a hug. Ashitaka had been terrified of losing her; all that stuff Kaya had been saying about becoming the new Emishi Princess and getting married in a year, he would have torn himself apart if all that ended here. She had so much to live for; he was glad she was safe. Now that he knew Kaya would be fine he quickly set his gaze up where San had taken a fighting stance in the tree. Ashitaka saw Kiba out of the corner of his eye; he had mastered the art of telling the two wolves apart. "Protect Kaya." He stated simply.

Kiba didn't particularly wish to be bossed around by his sister's mate, but he knew this wasn't the time to be rebellious. Ashitaka could do nothing but watch helplessly from the ground; he hated feeling so useless. The bird snapped at San, but in one stealthy move she had tossed her mask onto her back, slipped the knife into her mouth, and swung her body under the tree limb she had previously been standing on. Now San hung from the tree like bait. The bird was going to try again, and Ashitaka didn't have time to think. He leapt onto Tsume's back, "Hang on, San!"

The wolf thrust him into the air like he had done to his sister, and Ashitaka went flying. He had one shot and little time to make it. He quickly nocked his bow and aimed the arrow at Nagareya's skull. The demon's senses were sharp, though; she knew exactly what Ashitaka had planned to do and was quick to thwart it by dodging and trapping his arm in her beak. The knife fell from San's mouth as she screamed her mate's name. From below she had heard Kaya scream it just as loud, and although it annoyed her, she had better things to do than worry about the sniveling human; things like save Ashitaka's life. His right arm was caught in the pirecing jaw of the Falcon demon.

San heaved her legs up onto the limb and then proceeded to hoist herself back into a proper standing position. She glared at the demon that had perched itself on a limb of another tree. San saw Ashitaka's bow stuck on some branches. She was running out of time, this whole situation was bad. She secured the bow firmly in her grasp and suddenly realized... she had nothing to fire at the demon. She would try using her crystal, but it was far too small. Her eyes scrutinized her surroundings in a matter of seconds and she saw it. How could she have forgotten? San used her kurisutarudaga to help her dig the arrow from its place lodged in the bark. She wasn't too skilled with a bow and arrow, but desperate times called for desparate measures... but what if she hit Ashitaka? She heard him cry out in agony. It was this or be eaten by a bird for him, she supposed. San nocked the arrow and took aim. "Hey! Nagareya!"

The scarlet eyes turned to look at the warrior in the other tree. "How's this for a stray arrow? Damn _pidgeon_!" She released the arrow and it whizzed through the air.

The bird screeched in terror and pain as the arrow split its skull and sliced its brain. Ashitaka was immediately dropped and Tsume was there to catch his fall. Kiba grabbed onto Kaya's clothes with his fangs, hurriedly dragging her away from the site where the bird was falling to the ground. The bow, which had been touched by the snakey-tendrils, began to decay and disintegrate while still in San's hands. Her brow furrowed. That was... _odd_. She let the thought slink away into the back of her head; she would have plenty of time to worry about that later. San wrapped her arms as far around the trunk as she could and slid her way back down to ground level. After retrieving her knife, she sountered calmly to Ashitaka, who was being fawned over by Kaya. She very pointedly coughed, pushing Kaya aside and looking at Ashitaka's face. He could read her expression; it was asking him if he was okay. "I'm fine, San." He bluffed.

"You're such a liar, Ashitaka." She took his arm roughly and examined it, "That bird-brain..."

She smiled up at Ashitaka. He didn't see too much of that, so he guessed he really would be fine. She let go of his arm, completely unconcerned with the fact that her hands and wrists were now covered in his blood. "A piece of Nagareya was still in there..." San couldn't stop herself from looking at the pile of bloodied bones left in Nagareya's absence, "you're not cursed. That's all I needed to know."

For the first time, Kaya noticed that the wolf-girl's mask was on the back of her white wolf pelt. That meant it wasn't on her face! She could finally get a glimpse of this mysterious girl. San suddenly turned on her heel to face Kaya with narrowed eyes. The shock of the woman's gorgeous face with such angered eyes caused Kaya to flinch a little. The red paint on her face only added to the woman's aura of ferocity. "You can go back to _preening _him now." her words were harsh, but her voice was calm.

Ashitaka and Kaya watched her speak with her brothers next. "Kiba, go find Ryuuk and Yakkul, make sure they're okay. Then come find Tsume and I." She turned to the other wolf, "Tsume, we're going to go get help from the Ape tribe and the Fox den to put out that fire before it spreads too far."

She climbed onto Tsume's back and Ashitaka stumbled on his shakey legs toward her. "What about us; Kaya and I."

San's furrowed eyes looked down on Ashitaka from her mount. "I already told your friend what to do. You just stay here and wait until I get back."

Then she was gone, along with her two wolf brothers. Ashitaka sighed. That's what he got for falling in love with an untameable woman. "Some friend _she _is!" Kaya blurted out, "she didn't even thank you for saving her _life_!"

"_She _saved _my _life, not the other way around."

"Yeah, but only because you were trying to save _her_!"

"Because she was trying to save _you_." He said ending the argument.

Kaya put her hands on her hips and turned her nose up at the comment. "Well, I didn't _ask _her to save me." She paused and thought for a moment before continuing, "Oh well! At least she decided to give us some _alone _time."

She came up from behind Ashitaka and slid her arms around his waist. He sighed and very gently removed her hands from his midsection and walked over to the Bird God's remains. Kaya, although irritated, was curious to know what he was up to. Ashitaka bowed out of respect for the creature.

A sweet, melodic, velvety voice came from the brid's beak, "It was my time to go..."

The remainder of the body sizzled away, leaving nothing but a skeleton in the great creature's wake. Ashitaka began to search through the pile of bones and Kaya inquirred as to what he was doing. He explained to her that he was searching for anything that might have been inside of the falcon's body that would have caused her to transform into a demon. They couldn't find anything unusual. Ashitaka sat down leaning against the old, termite infested log and closed his eyes. His chest wound sent a seering pain throughout his body with each inhale of air, and his arm stung and burned like fire, the blood oozing through his arm guards. At this rate, he morbidly thought, he would probably die of bloodloss before San returned. Kaya sat down beside him, doing her best to clean out the injury he had received in the battle with the demon bird. That demon could have easily cursed him, or even ripped his limb off. Ashitaka's brows were tightly knitted together as he stared up at the canopy of leaves over head and listened to the pounding rain... so then why didn't she?


	4. タイトな私の手をホールド

**Chapter 4: Hold My Hand Tight**

The three humans sat together and ate in silence. The fire that had erupted in the forest had been successfully doused thanks to San's quick thinking. She had also managed to return to Kaya and Ashitaka with cooked meat that hadn't been entirely burned. Ashitaka bit off another succulant piece of cooked flesh. He liked his meat slightly charred; he thought it gave it a smokey flavor. At this, his taste buds danced with delight at San's lucky find. Kaya, however, was not so pleased. The wolf-girl couldn't just go out and hunt down a new, fresh catch and bring some fire back here to cook it with? How ridiculous. Kaya nibbled on a tiny bit of lightly cooked meat she had salvaged from the beast.

She was also disgusted by San's manners. She tried to advert her gaze from the woman ripping the meat apart as if she were some kind of animal. _She might as well be_, Kaya thought, taking another small bite of her meat. San noticed Kaya's small piece of meat and was offended that she wasn't eating more when there was so much left on what had been some form of medium-sized animal. She lowered her own piece and tossed it toward Kaya. It landed right in her lap. The Princess looked at the food with a distorted face. She tried to be polite in declining the offer. "Oh, no thanks. I—"

San glared at her and motioned toward the food she had just given to Kaya. She had gone through the trouble of letting the girl live, the least Kaya could do is stand to have a meal with her. "Eat."

Kaya was deliberating whether or not to accept the wolf-girl's share of food, but she remembered something that had bothered her and changed the subject. "I had wanted to ask you where that wound in Ashitaka's chest came from." Kaya informed the wolf-girl with a furrowed brow.

If it was possible, San's eyes became even more narrowed. "And how would you know about the wound in Ashitaka's chest?" She was looking at Ashitaka now as if the question were directed toward him.

He immediately finished off his share of food and quickly answered before Kaya had a chance, as she wouldn't realize that question wasn't for her. "San, Kaya was the one who staunched the bleeding on my arm..."

"I didn't ask about your arm!"

Kaya intervened, "No, but he winced an awful lot when I got closer and closer toward his shoulder."

"Kaya it was nothing, let's just drop this conversation." Ashitaka proposed half-heartedly, knowing both girls were too headstrong for that.

The Emishi girl lashed out at him with her words, "I'll be the judge of what's _nothing_, Ashitaka. That wound was fresh, and it was the same size as my kurisutarudaga." she paused for a moment, "So tell me, Mononoke... how did Ashitaka get that wound?"

"I stabbed him," San replied bluntly, "and if you were any kind of _Princess _you would know what's good for yourself and leave now. Your people would want you to return to your village, and _I _want you to leave my forest; I suggest you do just that."

"Fine by me! C'mon, Ashitaka, let's go." She grabbed Ashitaka's good arm and led him over to where Yakkul and Ryuuk had been grazing.

San was not amused by this girl in the slightest. "The next time I see you in this forest I will kill you, regardless of what Ashitaka wants," She continued watching them climb onto their red elks and prepare to depart, "and if he gets in my way I'll kill him, too."

Kaya gave her another glare before bounding away in the opposite direction of Iron Town. Ashitaka, seated on Yakkul's back, did not move. He waited as San approached him. She rested her hand on his thigh and looked up into his comforting eyes. Ashitaka knew that San was emotionally stronger than most girls; if she was normal in that respect, he knew she would have been in tears at this moment. San looked away from him; she couldn't stand looking into those compassionate brown orbs any longer. "I'm sorry..." she muttered, "I—I..."

It was enough for him to just hear her attempting to apologize. That was something San almost never did. "Apology accepted, and really it's nothing."

She shook her head from side to side, her mood lighter now, "You're such a liar, Ashitaka."

He smiled down at her as she backed away from Yakkul, then he became a little more serious. "I'll take Kaya to Iron Town and be back before morning, I promise."

She stood there and kept her eyes on him until he was gone from her sight, hidden behind the numerous trees of the forest. Kiba rubbed his snout against San's arm, trying to console her. "If you want, I'll keep an eye on him?"

"No." She hadn't moved her eyes from the spot he had disappeared, "He can handle himself."

Tsume growled, "He keeps hurting you, San! It's not a matter of if he can handle _himself_, can he take care of _you_?"

She laughed, "That's what I have you two for."

* * *

Ashitaka had finally caught up with the girl on the red elk and directed her toward the town. Night was beginning to fall on them now and Ashitaka knew that when there wasn't enough light to see, Iron Town would close its gate. He asked Yakkul to hurry up so they would make it in time. Kaya and Ryuuk also increased their speed. He could see they were closing in on Iron Town and the men were preparing to drop the gate. As Yakkul continued to race toward the town, Ashitaka screamed, "Wait! Hold the gate!"

Someone recognized him and Ashitaka could hear them shout his name back and forth between them. He and Kaya were able to rush through, and as soon as they were inside the fortress, the gate was sealed. Ashitaka could hear Toki's loud voice calling his name, "Ashitakaaaa!"

She pushed her way through the crowd and smiled up at him on the back of his red elk. "What are you doing back here?" Toki then noticed the girl on an elk very similar to Yakkul, "Huh... hey, who's your friend?"

"Kaya. She's—agh!" Ashitaka grimaced when he lifted his arm to introduce Kaya to the towns people.

Toki didn't fail to notice this, and turned around to a few of the people behind her, shouting out orders. "He's hurt! Someone get Gonza and tell Lady Eboshi! I need a hand; help me get him down!"

In truth, Ashitaka could get down without further injuring himself. He tried explaining this to Toki who refused to listen. "Ashitaka, shutup. We all know that the safest way down from Yakkul is by grabbing his antlers. Now, I've never ridden a—" she couldn't remember what kind of animal Ashitaka had said Yakkul was, "Yakkul before, but there's no way in hell I'm going to risk more injury to you."

Ashitaka gave up, he knew well that the women of Iron Town were far too stubborn to argue with. He allowed them to help him make his way to his home. It was one of the first built in the new town, mainly because he was the equivalent of a hero to them. Most of the people lived conglomerately together inside the homes that existed because not everyone had a place to call their own quite yet. Ashitaka had no qualms with sharing his abode with others of the town, for there was plenty of room. Toki had his good arm slung over her shoulders. He was taken to his bedroom, which the towns people generally didn't disturb. It seemed, however, that this incident provided an exception to that rule. Toki helped him onto the mat he considered a bed and propped him up. Gonza and Lady Eboshi were there shortly. Eboshi's brow furrowed as Gonza removed Ashitaka's arm guard to reveal the torn flesh that had been laying beneath. She immediately jumped to conclusions in believing San had bestowed that wound upon him.

Ashitaka was quick to correct her in stating that he and San had been attacked by a demon... moreso him than San. "You can ask Kaya, she was there—urgh!" He grunted through gritted teeth as Toki helped Gonza in better cleansing his wound.

Eboshi raised a brow. No one in the town bore that name. To whom was Ashitaka referring? The one-armed woman turned to face the people who had gathered into Ashitaka's home. "If there is anyone here by the name of Kaya, step forward. I will hear the story from you."

Recognizing the authority in the pale woman's voice, Kaya did as requested and took a step out of the crowd. Iron Town's mistress was surprised to say the least, but was careful to not allow this emotion to show on her face when she addressed the girl standing before her. The Lady Eboshi scrutinized the girl. Her face was contorted with what seemed to be a sneer. It would seem she had something she wished to say. As Eboshi stared at her, she noticed Kaya's garb resembled that which Ashitaka wore. It was obvious to her that Kaya came from the same distant land as Ashitaka. Why she was here, however, seemed to remain a mystery for the timebeing. She contemplated her response to the girl's obedience before speaking. "You are a foreigner in these lands, are you not?"

The raven-haired woman paused and Kaya took this to mean she was expected to give an answer. "I am," She stated confidently.

"You must have traveled a very long journey to find this place. If you don't mind my asking, why is it you're here?" Eboshi asked with an aura of serenity.

Kaya was slightly taken aback by the refined nature of this woman. It was strange to be spoken to as if she was an old friend, but there was a hint of mistrust Kaya could pinpoint in the woman's words. "I came to retrieve Ashitaka. When he has healed he and I will leave together."

Eboshi chuckled a little bit. What could this girl possibly know of Ashitaka if she expected him to leave with her without a fight? He had long ago claimed the Princess Mononoke for his own surely she still belonged to him as he was the only human accepted within the boundaries of the forest. Ashitaka had stayed here far beyond the extent of what Eboshi had originally anticipated. It was clear to her that this was his home now. There was no hope for him to convert entirely to heathenism like his counterpart, but Iron town was the closest civilization to the monstrosity he loved and therefore she could only imagine he had no intentions of leaving Iron Town save for when he chose to spend time in the forest.

"My Lady, you can't let her take Ashitaka away! He belongs here!" Toki begged out of place, "He's one of us!"

She was not chastised for her actions, for as Eboshi looked upon the faces of her town's people within Ashitaka's home it seemed Toki's feelings were mutual. The Lady of authority met the gaze of the young girl. "If Ashitaka leaves with you it will be of his own accord, however," Eboshi turned to face the man on the mat with the wounded arm, "I wonder what the Princess Mononoke would think of that, Ashitaka?"

The title by which this woman referred to the wolf-girl made no sense to Kaya; she was slightly confused. Was the barbarian not a bodyguard? By the sound of it she was actually a princess, like herself. Kaya refused to believe that this could be so. There was no way the _troll _was in the same league as her! Ashitaka grunted as Toki covered his arm in a poultice. "Don't be so sensitive!" She scolded him.

Toki smacked his shoulder as punishment, but Ashitaka let out a wail of pain as she did so. Kaya flinched, knowing the reason for Ashitaka's cry. Toki didn't understand what she did wrong, quickly she removed his shirt to find another wound just below his collar bone. Toki gasped and apologized for hitting him in an area he was wounded. She followed up by reprimanding him for not telling her he had more injuries. Lady Eboshi's brows furrowed causing a deep crease in her forhead. She turned quickly to gaze upon Kaya once more. "I will hear that story now, Kaya."

Kaya nodded. Ashitaka half expected her to flat out lie in front of him, but was pleased when she recounted each detail delicately and accurately. Kaya made sure to put emphasis on the fact that San had given him the wound in his chest. However, her audience seemed rather unphased by it. Gonza sighed, "Why couldn't you have found yourself a girl that didn't try to slit your throat everytime you visited her?"

The men laughed at Gonza's comment and Ashitaka smiled. He knew it was somewhat risky to be involved with San, but he didn't care. Eboshi dismissed Kaya, thanking her for clearing up the events of what had occured. She asked Gonza to kindly find shelter for those who usually stayed in Ashitaka's home as he would be needing undisturbed rest.

* * *

It was dark and Toki was usually comfortably nestled up with Kouroku asleep at this time of night. Instead she was quietly stalking a young foreign girl from the shadows. Kaya had been placed in the same home as her, Kouroku, and a few others who usually stayed at Ashitaka's. Perhaps it was nothing more than just a midnight visit, but Toki didn't trust her. She watched Kaya peer over both of her shoulders before entering past the bamboo curtain of Ashitaka's home. What was that girl up to? Toki followed her, creeping into the foreigner's, now permanent, residence. She tip-toed up the staircase that led to Ashitaka's room, cringing at every creaky step. Toki could hear sounds from within Ashitaka's room, that Kaya-girl had probably woken him up. When she was finally outside the doorway, she could hear Kaya speaking, not to Ashitaka, but to herself.

"Where the hell did he go? He's supposed to be asleep!"

"As are you." Toki stated as she entered the room with her arms crossed over her robust bossom.

Kaya jumped at the unexpected company. Had that woman really trailed her all the way here? Toki stood and watched Kaya's expression as it changed from surprise to solemn. It seemed obvious to Toki that the girl was very concerned about Ashitaka and wanted to know where he was. She, of course, knew that if he wasn't here in his condition, then he would be in the forest with the wolf-girl. She wasn't about to tell Kaya that, though. Toki sighed, leading the girl away from Ashitaka's abode and taking her to one of the lookout posts along the fortress wall. Kaya was confused. Why would this woman bring her here? She was about to ask that very question when Toki spoke first, "What do you see when you stare out at the forest?"

What kind of question was that? Kaya preked a brow and looked beyond the walls that kept intruders out. "Trees, grass, dirt, flowers... Gods..."

Toki smiled at the girl. "Do you want to know what I see?" It had been posed as a rhetorical question, so Kaya stayed silent, "I see beauty, dreams, life, hope... and freedom."

"Freedom?" Kaya breathed.

That word was the one that had really caught her attention. Toki laughed at her awe-struck expression, and Kaya stared out at the forest again to see this freedom Toki spoke of. However, when she searched it wasn't anywhere to be found. How could freedom reside in a forest anyway? Toki noticed Kaya was having trouble seeing it. She gently took Kaya's hand in hers and gave a light squeeze. "It's like this," Toki began, "the trees can't help where their roots grow or for how long they live and they can never leave the spot which they take root. The winds blow past them, winds that have been everywhere always with a new story and a new adventure to tell. It's through the winds the trees see the world, and there's no controlling the winds."

Kaya rolled her eyes. This conversation seemed to be going nowhere, and she still had no idea what happened to Ashitaka... or did she? "Are you suggesting I'm a tree... and Ashitaka is the wind?"

"No... Ashitaka is the tree and his princess is the wind. There's nothing man, beast, Demons, or Gods can do to change that." With that, it seemed Toki had no more to say to the newcomer as she turned to leave.

Kaya's brows furrowed. "Wait!" The woman turned to face her and Kaya continued, "You never told me your name."

"It's Toki."


	5. 父方の本能

**Chapter 5: Paternal Instinct**

"San!" he called for his sister.

The wolf girl emerged from the trees and stood beside Kiba to see Ashitaka approaching over the horizon. It wasn't in her nature to smile, but even though she didn't emote her feelings externally, it was obvious she was very happy to see him. Lately, Kiba had become the clan's "lookout". His senses were keener than San's for the simple fact that she was human. It was more important now than ever for him to take on this role while Tsume was depended upon as the hunter. What role would Ashitaka take on, Kiba wondered idly. He was, afterall, their leader's mate; he would be expected to play an important role to the clan. Perhaps boarder patrol? That seemed fair for a human, no? Of course, it wasn't his decision; it was San's. He trusted she would find a suitable niche for him.

Ashitaka dismounted Yakkul to greet San. She seemed slightly more distant than usual. His brow furrowed. "Are you okay, San?"

"I should be asking you that; how's your arm? And your chest?"

She gently stroked the sling his arm had been placed in. He smiled down at her and responded that he was feeling much better now that he was with her. She accused him of lying and took his good hand in hers. "C'mon, I wanna show you something."

What could San possibly want to show him? She lived in a huge, beautiful forest filled with Gods, Demons, and spirits... it was rather unlikely that anything she had to show him could be more magnificant than all that. However, if it was important to San, then he was more than willing to see whatever it was she was so insistant upon showing him. What was odd was that Kiba and Tsume weren't going to go with them to this place. San guided him between the trees, and he soon recognized it as one of the many routes to the forest spirit's lagoon. He was slightly confused, but simply accepted it. She led him into the water. His feet sank into the mud on the bottom of the lake, but it didn't bother him. San removed his arm from the sling, making a mental note that once they left this place she would have to return it to him.

He seemed a little less tense now, to which San assumed meant the water was calming him. He allowed her to remove his shirt, followed by his arm guards. She set each garment beside the pool. He watched her run a callused hand over his chest. He knew she was doing a thorough inspection of his wounds. Ashitaka waited patiently and relished the feeling of her hands gliding across his skin. She stopped for a moment and looked at him with soft eyes. He couldn't help but smile down at her. She was trying to convey some sort of question, but he wasn't entirely sure what that look was asking him for. Ashitaka reached for her neck and tilted her face up towards him before crushing his lips against hers. It lasted naught but a moment when Ashitaka released her. Something wasn't right... where was the fire that San usually fought his advances with? She pressed her body against his and his eyes widened as she breathed his name, "Ashitaka..."

* * *

He now greeted the gatekeepers as he entered Iron Town in the early morning light. He had stayed with San as long as he possibly could, but he needed to return to Iron Town for a day or two. He had spent nearly a month in the forest with San; he promised her he would not stay in Iron Town for any extended length of time. Ashitaka loved being in the forest with San, but the isolation was most unfavorable to him. Nothing could compare to all the friendships he had in Iron Town.

At the time, Toki was in the market buying rice when one of the villagers came racing through the core of Iron Town shouting over the market place din. At first she didn't know what the hell was wrong with the man that he would fight the midday market rush for a voice. Toki sighed. She had inherited the task of holding down the fort in Lady Eboshi and Gonza's absences. Her brow furrowed as she pushed past the other women, who had now taken an interest in what the man had to say. The brash woman met his gaze and called for silence in the center of the village. The respect for Toki was apparent when an immediate silence followed her request. Toki recognize the man at once; he was one of the gate keepers. "Takeda?" Her voice became laced with a thick coat of venom, "What the _hell_ are you doing away from your post!"

The narrowly built man trembled slightly when Toki addressed him. "A-Ashitaka, h-has—"

Toki's eyes widened with surprise and Ashitaka's name escaped her lips before a wide smile spread across her face. Knowing that Ashitaka had finally emerged from the forest was news that set the villagers into a joyful commotion. A crowd had formed at the gate to welcome Ashitaka warmly like it always did by the time Toki arrived. He dismounted Yakkul, greeting his friends and neighbors with friendly pleasantries. Toki had made her way to the front of the crowd rather effortlessly and crossed her arms. "Well, well," her loud voice had caught his attention immediately, "humble as ever, I see."

He laughed and extended a hand to her which she clasped firmly. "Welcome home, Ashitaka," Toki told him with a smile.

The two friends made their way to Toki's home. She spoke animatedly on the progression of Iron Town as she prepared tea for him on her front porch. She handed him a poorly crafted cup filled to the brim with tea. He was seated with Toki in the street enjoying a town that was nearly completed in its construction, a beautiful morning, and a warm cup of tea. They weren't really discussing anything of much importance, but now it was his turn to explain what had been occurring in the depths of the forest. He knew Toki was always interested in hearing about San and wouldn't mind the conversation. Toki was completely entranced by Ashitaka's discussion. She listened to him recount his tale with much detail. Apparently San had assigned Ashitaka some sort of boarder job to keep outsiders from infiltrating the dense woods. It also seemed he acted like a carrier pidgeon, transfering messages between the forest Gods. Toki's tea sprayed out the side of her mouth when Ashitaka informed her of the most important developments that had taken place in the forest. "Are you sure?"

He laughed with mirth at Toki's reaction. "Yeah, there's absolutely no mistaking it."

Toki's head swayed back and forth in disbelief. She was allowing the new information to sink in. This was definitely something the village was going to tease him for... she smiled a little devilishly; she was the first to find out, and therefore the first to get to tease the foreigner. "So, our little Ashitaka is growing up... becoming the head of the household and all that, right? Well, let's get one thing straight, that girl in the forest has got you _completely _wrapped around her claws."

He agreed, but didn't voice that opinion aloud. "In any case, that's why I probably won't be around for awhile."

"Well, I know one girl who's going to be extremely disappointed," Toki muttered to herself.

"What was that, Toki?"

"Hm? Nothing! So how long are you going to be here?" Toki questioned, trying to change the topic.

"Not very long. Where's Lady Eboshi?" Ashitaka inquirred when the surprise his news had caused had finally died away.

"She took many of the men beyond the mountains to trade our iron for rice. Now that we've made amends with the forest, I'm not too worried about the travel."

"Ah, so I take it Gonza and Kouroku are gone as well, then?"

"Yeah."

"And Kaya?"

The very instant her name was mentioned a young girl dressed in a short, loose, grungy kimono raced from the iron works calling Ashitaka's name. He turned his head in the direction from which he had been called to attention only to be tackled and bestowed with a passionate flurry of kisses. It wasn't much of a wrestling match, for Ashitaka was able to pin her down pretty quickly. He was slightly surprised to see she was still here, though. Ashitaka had sort of expected her to leave by now. Suddenly, Kaya seemed very serious. It was awkward for Ashitaka to see her face look so mature. "Ashitaka! Please let me bear your children!"

He blinked a few times in slight confusion at the abruptness before Kaya's request really began to sink in. She was looking at him so firecely with a fire he had many a time seen in San's eyes. There was a time, not so very long ago, where he would have seized her from her place and taken her to his quarters, however, that time had since passed and he had matured to a new degree. His response was immediate and the tone with which he spoke was even, "No."

"I won't allow the royal bloodline to end! It is from your lineage the Emishi must have another prince, Ashitaka!" Kaya begged.

"No."

"But Ashitaka—!"

Her sentence was cut off and he was finally fed up with beating around the proverbal bush. San had told him that when he came to this town he was to make sure Kaya would no longer be seeking him out. "My lineage and what becomes of it is none of your concern, Kaya. _San_ will bear my children and _you_ will return to the Emishi village without me. Tomorrow."

He removed himself from her and held out a hand to help her to her feet. Her brow furrowed and an angry sneer crept upon her face. "I will leave when I please. You forget to whom you are speaking, Ashitaka."

With that she pushed his hand aside and got up without his aid. She then proceeded to storm back to the Iron works to tend to her duties. Ashitaka rubbed the back of his neck. Toki closed her eyes and smiled lightly to herself, taking another sip of her tea. "So... you were a Prince in another lifetime, huh?" she asked casually.

Ashitaka returned his attention to the woman sitting in the dirt and couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "In another lifetime, yes... but exile isn't entirely loathesome," he was a quite happy where he was in life currently, "I only truely found myself in exile, and that has brought me here."

Toki laughed. "You really have grown-up, Ashitaka!" she smiled warmly, "I guess it really wasn't much of a loss, anyway; you know your children will be treated the same as if they were royal here, right?"

He and Toki exchanged words for awhile longer before Ashitaka stood to travel to his humble abode. Toki decided to get in one last bit of teasing before he left. "Oi!" she grinned at him, "Enjoy being an expectant father... and don't let the wolf-girl's hormones get you killed."

* * *

_Sorry everyone that I'm late in updating this. I'm working through some home issues and I have mid-term exams next week AND my own birthday! Then Christmas is right around the corner, too. I hope to update sometime over the Christmas break, though. Anyway! Hope you still liked this chapter, and I apologize for the shortness of it, but I wanted to get something posted before the holiday season._

_Thanks for being so paitient and supportive! Happy Holidays! :D_


	6. 知識価値犠

**Chapter Six: Knowledge Worth Sacrifice**

Wolves. Are. Selfish. She decided, running a hand through her grungy hair. San considered herself a wolf, therefore San considered herself to be selfish. She knew Ashitaka had asked her to stay close to the den, but something was out of place in the forest and that damn human she called her mate was nowhere to be found. San secretly wished her quarry was that Kaya-girl lost out here so she could finally put an end to that petty woman's life. Her brow furrowed as she picked up an unusual scent. Birds...? She crouched low to the ground like an animal, peering at the world beyond the edge of the forest. The sight of a single dead crow might not be something she would have paid any mind to, however, when the carcasses of crows lay strewn across the grassy plains in the direction of Iron Town, San couldn't help but be a little suspicious.

It seemed her instincts had been right, something was definitely wrong within her realm. Quickly, San darted between the trees, the Kodama following her every move. Then, she came to a stop. Quiet. Why was it quiet? The usual forest din that littered the air was gone, like the silence before a storm. She instinctively rested a hand over her slowly expanding abdomen and allowed herself to listen to the trees for naught but a moment. Something unfriendly was lurking nearby—something that would provoke her into a fight.

She had assigned Tsume to boarder patrol and sent Kiba in search of Ashitaka... neither of her brothers had returned yet. She cursed under her breath. San bit her lip, ignoring the stinging sensation of her canines digging in to the soft flesh. Blood trailed down the side of her mouth, but she was oblivious to it. San carefully scrutinized her surroundings from behind the cover of her mask. The Kodama had disappeared, and San was now aware of a presence stalking her. She could not fight what she could not see and decided it would be best to go about her daily activities. She would avoid returning to the cave until she could pinpoint this predator and dispose of them properly.

Yet the absence of her brothers lingered with every step she took.

* * *

He had hurried in his travels to return to San. Ashitaka wasn't keen on the idea of leaving her alone right now—he didn't trust her to just take it easy on herself. The Emishi felt like something was wrong as he glanced up at the cave San tended to stay in—Moro's cave. It only made sense that she would prefer to live in the place her "mother" had resided. Truly, Ashitaka would never understand the connection San and Moro had once had, but he knew Moro had loved San immensely. Therefore, he could only assume that their relationship had closely resembled that of _any_ mother and daughter.

Ashitaka furrowed his brow. Surely San would have ran out to greet him by now, or Tsume would have threatened him... either way, it seemed the atmosphere surrounding the cave was out of the usual. He turned to face Yakkul for a moment, noting that the elk's ears were pinned back. Suddenly Ashitaka made a mad dash for the cave, calling out his woman's name and slipping on rocks in his haste. With no answer from any direction he felt a rush of anxiety spread over him. He found himself at the opening of an empty cave, save for a few piles of leaves that were used in place of beds. Much to his dismay, they looked as though they hadn't been touched the previous night.

This worried him greatly. He strode to the edge of the cliff and carefully examined the land before him, as he had done many atime before. This time, however, held more meaning than the others, for he knew well that San would walk barefoot into hell to protect this forest... with no fear of sacrificing her life in the process—and, inadvertantly, the life of fetus growing within her. He sighed, seating himself on the edge of the cliff. The forest was huge and San could be anywhere within it; he wouldn't even know where to begin looking for her.

He closed his eyes, losing a bit of faith in himself as her mate. How could he have thought he was worthy of the woman that even forest gods bow to? What exactly had he been thinking when he claimed her for himself? And did that claim make him greedy or just arrogant? He could only remember it being an act of chivalry in an attempt to save her life—if not _for_ himself, then _from_ the villagers whoso sought her death. He supposed it all made him nothing more than human. He opened his eyes to the bright world around him. How different things were from whence she first attracted his eyes. A light smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Ashitaka's expression was quick to change; his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed at the trees below. He had to find her.

* * *

She had successfully found the intruder and growled at him. What could he possibly want this time? He bowed out of respect for the woman before him, but San was not moved by his flattery. A faux smile spread upon his ugly mug and he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I had heard rumors, but I never would have guessed them to be true. That Ashitaka's a real glutton for punishment, isn't he?" Jigo chuckled.

San remembered the last encounter she had, had with the monk—it resulted in the decapitation of the forest spirit. She made no move, nor did he. They stood opposite eachother in a delicate balance, the wolf-girl's ugly snarls the only sound between them. "Now, now, Miss. Mononoke, I'm just a humble monk; I'm just trying to get by."

"LIAR!" San roared, outraged and insulted that he would even _attempt_ such deception in her presence.

"Don't get so worked up; that much anger can't be good for the baby," he chastised.

As much as San hated to admit it, he was right; so much intense fury could not be healthy for her unborn offspring. However, even that knowledge only sufficed to keep her from attacking him needlessly; it failed to quell her deep feelings of resentment. He smiled a little to himself at the poor ignorance of the woman before him. She could never understand the ways of anything beyond the edge of her precious forest. There was no way she would know that Lord Asano was behind an uprising within the human lands—an uprising that would put an end to the Gods' reign over this world.

After Asano's last attempt at immortality was foiled, it became clear that he intended no man or beast henceforth could possess such fortune. Those who succeeded in killing any God would be praised and honored with great wealth... and Jigo was very much attracted to the shine of a pretty coin. But again, these were things that the Princess Mononoke would not understand; there would be no reasoning with her on the matter.

A howl that sounded more like an immitation sounded from nearby—Ashitaka always did have trouble getting the proper dialect. San jabbed her knife toward Jigo, "Leave."

"I expected you'd say something to that effect," Jigo confessed with a light shrug, "but as Princess of Beasts, you should know that the Gods of this forest are to be exterminated under the orders of Lord Asano."

He waited to see what she would do with this new information, but was a little surprised to see her remain unphased. San jabbed her knife toward Jigo once more, "Leave."

"I'm going, I'm going. I have no desire to get a knife in my throat today," he joked, "I'll be in Iron Town for awhile. You never know, additional information can sometimes be very useful."

With that he turned on his heels and strutted toward the mouth of the forest. San was fairly confident that Jigo was sincere in his warning, and for that she could allow him his life—for now. He would die at her hands one day, of that she was certain, but that day would not be today. She turned around to see Ashitaka with Yakkul and Kiba. Ashitaka's brow was deeply furrowed. It was obvious he had welcomed the sight of the monk about as much as San did. San could not help but wonder how much of the conversation they had heard. She wasted no time. San hurried to sling herself onto Kiba's back. "Where's Tsume?" she asked her brother quickly.

Had Jigo's warning come too late?

* * *

Kaya stepped outside the Iron Works for a bit since the air inside was so filthy and polluted. She was on break right now, so she was sure it would be alright. The men had returned yesterday with more than enough rice for the townspeople. Ashitaka's visit caused a commotion, the arrival of the townsmen caused a commotion, so what was causing the commotion at the gates today? Had Ashitaka forgotten something? It was unlikely, but that did not keep Kaya from hoping. She smiled and popped her head back in to the Iron Works. "Hey! Kiyo!"

"Huh?"

"Can you cover me for a few minutes? Thanks, I'll be back!"

Before Kiyo had a chance to object, Kaya was already gone. Excitement filled her as she bounded toward the gates, but the adrenaline was quickly drained when she saw an old monk strolling into town. The eyes of the townsfolk glared at the man with disdain. Kaya watched as Lady Eboshi parted the crowd and addressed the visitor calmly. When most of the bodies had cleared, Kaya went to investigate. The monk was seated at the side of the street, discussing something with the Lady Eboshi.

Kaya's uninvited presence brought a halt to the monk's conversation with Eboshi. "My, my. The girls in your Iron Works get younger all the time!" he joked, "Another brothel girl, is she?"

"Honestly, I haven't a clue. She came seeking Ashitaka and asked for work to keep her stay," her attention turned to Kaya, "What would you have of me?"

"I only sought to join in engaging conversation, Lady Eboshi," Kaya offered with a slight bow.

Jigo burst out laughing. "Well, there's no conversation more engaging than this. Have a seat!"

There were no introductions, for it would not do to become familiar with the grime-coated girl. He doubted that she was of any threat to him, but it would be best to guard his words all the same. He picked up the conversation in speaking about a raid on a glacier in the far north. Melt the ice, provoke the Gods, and incite a battle leading to victory: that was the plan. Naturally, the plan had gone sour and all of the humans involved had been eaten. Jigo chuckled, "I imagine those stupid bears were surprised to see an army of berserker reinforcements when they later scaled that frozen mountain of theirs. Leave it to a viking seige to destroy the Gods of ice and snow!"

Eboshi's brow furrowed as she recalled the last time the blood of the Gods had tainted her hands—one of which she no longer had. "So what would you have me do, Jigo?"

He smiled, "I don't ask for much; I'm just looking to rest here awhile, then I'll move on."

"Stay as long as you'd like, then, but do not endanger the people here who have treated you with such hospitality."

On those words Eboshi removed hersef from the discussion. She struggled in heaving herself to her feet, but frowned upon the acceptance of aid from others. Once she was on her legs, Eboshi strode away, allowing her confidence to carry her to more important business. Kaya eyed the monk carefully. He seemed rather content with the outcome of his talk with Eboshi. When he turned to face the girl in the loose fitting kimono, he shifted his weight—obviously feeling uncomfortable under her intense scrutinization. "Don't you have work to do?"

"No." Kaya lied.

There was something odd about this man; something inexplicably alluring. Jigo scratched his exposed belly, not sure how to forward conversation with the girl seated beside him. She was quite beautiful, but was probably equally brash—much like the other women of Iron Town. Though the more he examined her features, the more she began to appear familiar to him. He could see in his memory the same high cheekbones and porcelin skin on that woman from his past. He ran a hand over his forhead, wiping the sweat of a sweltering day off with a single stroke. He briefly sniffed his hand before drying it on his cerimonial robes. He exhaled a deep breath and looked at her with what could be described as longing. "You know, you remind me of someone," Jigo finally admitted.

Kaya tilted her head to the side. She was perplexed but also curious. She wished to hear more, if only he would tell her. Kaya was deeply disappointed when he did not continue. "Don't stop," Kaya pressed, "Please, I would like to hear more."

She was truly fascinated and intrigued. The monk sighed and assented to her request. "I supposed I have time for one story," he moved his bags aside before beginning his tale, "Long before I took up my role as a monk I was involved with a young woman named Touko. She lived to the west of here in a small, isolated village most people don't even believe exists. It is said they use stone arrowheads and ride on majestic red elk, the Emishi people. Supposedly, they were all wiped out 500 years ago..."

Kaya's eyes widened. She could assume he knew about her village from this Touko-woman, but how did she manage to get away from the village? His story had now engrossed her complete attention. "Touko had strayed too far from her home and was kidnapped by some of Lord Asano's spies. She was taken to his palace and served him as his slave. I, too, was in Lord Asano's service. My tasks were as his messenger. I bought her off of him—she cost quite a fair bit of gold," he paused, "and a lifetime of servitude."

Jigo frowned, "After a life spent hidden Touko wanted to see the world. We lived capricously as nomads and even welcomed a child into the world together. We were not always welcomed everywhere we went, though. There came a time when the wolf God Moro found us camping in her forest. She was furious. In her anger she asked a sacrifice and we threw our baby at her feet to spare our own lives. I have never ran so fast in my life."

Kaya blinked a couple times, "That can't be it!"

He scratched his head, "Well, Touko had some family back home, but I never had a chance to meet them. She said her younger sister Akane was quite a looker."

The Emishi girl opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off. Kiyo grabbed her arm roughly and dragged Kaya away from the monk. "Back in a few minutes my ass! You've been gone for over an hour!"

Kaya traced the outline of a moose in the black smoke filtering out of the iron works, her thoughts all turned to mush. What if that baby was San?

* * *

_Maha! It took me a full freakin' year, but I did it! I must say, I am rather pleased with how I have advanced as a writer in the past year. Hopefully this update (which deleted itself TWICE—man, I was SO pissed) shall appease you, my readers... at least for a short while XD_

_Don't forget to leave a review, though! I do so enjoy reading them, even if it takes me awhile to respond with an update :)_

_(Oh, I am so BACK, baby!)_


End file.
